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March/April 2015
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michigankids.org
Volume 1
Number 1
$
4.95
Headed for Home
H
is
How and why people moved to, from, and around Michigan
Michigan History for Kids
From the Publisher
About This
Issue
Michigan History for
Kids is back! Now using
both print and digital
platforms, each newand-improved issue will
bring to life a different part
of our state’s past. Written for third and
fourth graders, this magazine goes beyond
the textbooks, exploring the history and
heritage of all Michigan’s peoples. It also
thoroughly integrates Michigan’s Grade
Level Content Expectations (GLCEs)
into the content. The Historical Society
of Michigan (HSM) is proud to publish
Michigan History for Kids, which was
previously produced by the State of
Michigan from 2001-2009. The rebirth
of this popular publication is made
possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. For more information about
Michigan History for Kids or the Historical
Society of Michigan’s other publications
and educational efforts, please visit
michigankids.org or hsmichigan.org.
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This issue of Michigan
History for Kids is
called “Headed
for Home.” As
you read the stories, you
will find three words
that you may not
know. The first is migrate (my-grate).
That means to move from one place to
another. The second new word is
emigrate (em-i-grate). Emigrate means
to leave your country to live in a new
one. The last word is immigrant
(i-ma-grent). Immigrants are people
who settle in a country where they were
not born. Inside are many stories,
questions, puzzles, and games that will
help you learn why people moved to,
from, and around Michigan. Have fun!
© 2015 Historical Society of Michigan. All rights reserved.
Reproduction, whether in whole or in part, of the contents of
Michigan History for Kids, without written permission, is prohibited.
Michigan History for Kids does not assume responsibility for
statements of fact or opinion made by contributors or for the
content on non-HSM websites.
Animal illustrations by Lori Taylor. To submit an article for possible
publication, please visit hsmichigan.org. For teacher resources,
please visit michigankids.org.
H
is
A Good Read
March/April 2015
In 1937, Patsy Ford was a happy African-American girl. She
enjoyed taking care of her three younger sisters. She liked
helping her mother in the kitchen too. Then Patsy and her
family took a trip to Tennessee to visit her grandmother.
Patsy’s life changed forever after that trip. The Colored Car
by Jean Alicia Elster tells the story of how Patsy comes face
to face with segregation (se-gri-gay-shun), or keeping black
people and white people apart.
2
What’s Inside
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From the Publisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About This Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Good Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Place to Visit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Who Were the Coureur de Bois?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 & 5
Is It a Primary Source or a Secondary Source?. . . . . . . 6
Meet Marylou Olivarez-Mason. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Amazing Life of Elizabeth Dennison Forth. . . . . 8 & 9
A Path and Some “Points” of History. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Full-Circle Flier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
From Germany to Michigan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Help the Coureur de Bois Find Their Way!. . . . . . . . . . 13
Mexicantown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 & 15
A Preview of the Next Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
H
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A Place to Visit
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The Eyaawing (a-yah-wing) Museum
and Cultural Center shares the history
and culture of the Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians. Located in Peshawbestown,
Michigan, which is near Traverse City,
Eyaawing welcomes all school groups
to visit or take a tour. There are also
arts-and-crafts projects, which include
lessons about Native American culture.
Kids always enjoy learning about the
Seven Grandfather Teachings, canoes,
and the medicine wheel. They can
also make memory bracelets to take
home. For more information, go to
gtbindians.org/eyaawing.asp.
Michigan History for Kids
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Who Were
the Coureur
de Bois ?
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oureur de Bois (koo-where duh bwah)
means “runners of the woods.” These
men went out from French settlements
to trade for animal furs with Native
Americans. Their travels took them
through the land that is now Michigan.
Many of them married women from the
Native American tribes. The Coureur de
Bois lived in Native villages and traveled
with their new friends, learning their
languages and customs.
This is the author dressed as a
Coureur de Bois, which means
“runners of the woods.” They would
trade with the Native Americans
for beaver furs, also called pelts.
Mackinac Island was the center of the
fur trade in the Great Lakes. The Coureur
de Bois could reach a lot of places by
paddling their canoes from the island.
They sometimes had to carry, or
portage (poor-tahj), their canoes over
land to reach another lake or river to
finish their trip.
The photo above is from the author.
A hat made from
beaver felt was stylish
in Europe in the 1600s
and 1700s. Felt was
made from the beaver’s
thick undercoat fur.
They could get to the
Mississippi River through
Lake Michigan.
H
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They could make it to the
Great Plains by going north
and across Lake Superior.
March/April 2015
4
They could also go to the
Ohio River by heading south
on Lakes Huron and Erie.
These are some of the items
that were at trading posts
around 1684. Each thing on the
list costs 1 beaver pelt, or fur.
In 1681, the French government said
all Coureur de Bois had to have permits
to trade. Those who worked without
permits were said to be outlaws and had
to pay fines.
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Lists like these were different
at every trading post. The price
would change often. It would
depend on how many of an
item the trading post had
and how much people wanted
the thing. This is called
supply and demand.
Some Coureur de Bois were not always
fair when they traded with the Native
Americans. Alcohol was traded for furs
too. The Native Americans got sick from
the alcohol. They also became sick from
the diseases that the Coureur de Bois
carried without knowing it.
The Coureur de Bois were great explorers.
They had to be tough and clever to
survive hard winters and rough waters.
Most of them did not know how to swim!
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Native Americans liked some of the
things they could get from trading.
European people liked the furs they
got for making their hats and clothing.
That was the main purpose of the fur
trade. Many metal, cloth, and glass trade
items made life easier for the
Native Americans. Imagine,
to them, an iron ax was “new
technology”!
This story and the
activities were written
by Genot “Winter Elk” Picor.
Genot was a school teacher
and is now a storyteller
and musician.
20 feet of medium rope
300 wampum beads
4 glass fire starters
1 wool hat
3 black bear hides with fur
2 pounds gunpowder
12 large butcher knives
1 tin pot
1 large ax
24 fish hooks
12 flint-and-steel fire starters
15 iron arrow points
6 dozen metal buttons
200 sewing needles and thread
24 hawk bells
1 pair of trousers
You have 10 beaver pelts to
trade for items that you will
need for a trip you are taking
into the wilderness in 1684.
What do you want to buy with
your beaver furs? Why did you
choose those things?
5
Michigan History for Kids
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Is It a Primary Source or
a Secondary Source?
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When people
learn about
history, they
get their facts
from different
sources.
This postcard from 1917 is a Primary
Source (pry-mary sors). Why? Because
you can read Uncle Bob’s very own
words written in 1917!
The card says “My Dear Little Mary.
Five eggs today. Come up and help eat
them. Uncle Bob. Feb. 4, 1917.” It was
sent to “Miss Mary Jane Holt, 774 E.
22nd St., Paterson, New Jersey.”
What can you learn about Uncle Bob and Mary from this card?
Secondary Source (se-kon-dairy sors).
Why? Because your story would be
written long after Uncle Bob wrote his
postcard. Your facts would be from what
you learned from the postcard, but your
story would be from your point of view.
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When you look at a Primary Source,
you learn a lot from it. You can learn
much about Uncle Bob and Mary if you
study this postcard.
If you were to write a story today about
Uncle Bob and Mary, it would be a
March/April 2015
6
The photos in
this story are from
Marylou Olivarez-Mason.
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Marylou Olivarez-Mason (mary-loo all-ivair-iz may-son) was born in San Antonio
(san ann-toe-nee-o), Texas. Her family was
of Mexican heritage. When Marylou was
4 years old, the Michigan Sugar Company
came to Texas. They wanted people to
go to Bay City, Michigan, to help gather
sugar beets from the fields. So Marylou’s
family set off for Bay City.
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Meet Marylou Olivarez-Mason
The first year, everyone went to Michigan
by train. After that, Marylou and her
family rode in a truck with many other
people. They did this every year for many
years. The family migrated (my-grated),
or moved, to Michigan in March and went
back to Texas in November or December.
There were other crops to harvest as well.
Marylou and her family migrated to
Traverse City every year to pick cherries.
They also went to the city of Edmore to
help with potatoes. Grand Haven and
South Haven had peaches for them to pick.
Using the story to help you, connect
the city and food item to the right
spot in Michigan. One is done to get
you started.
Marylou’s family migrated so much
because it was the only way for them to
make money. There was no work in Texas.
The money they made in Michigan helped
them live the rest of the year in Texas.
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When Marylou was 12 years old, her
family stayed in Michigan for a whole
year. She finally started going to school
then too. Marylou’s uncle convinced
them all to stay in Michigan. The family
still traveled to pick crops after school,
but they had found a new home.
Bay City
Edmore
Grand Haven
Traverse City
South Haven
potatoes
cherries
peaches
sugar beets
7
Michigan History for Kids
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The Amazing Life of
Elizabeth Dennison Forth
E
This photo is
from St. James
Episcopal
Church.
lizabeth Dennison (den-ni-son) was
born as a slave in Detroit before the
Northwest Ordinance was passed. People
called her Lisette (liz-et). Her family was
owned by William Tucker, a pioneer in
the area of today’s Mount Clemens.
In 1805, William Tucker died. He wrote
in his will that Lisette’s parents were to
be set free. But freedom did not come
to Lisette and her brothers. They were
now owned by William Tucker’s wife and
sons. Lisette’s father and mother were not
happy that their children were still slaves.
Since the Northwest Ordinance made
slavery against the law in the Michigan
Territory, Lisette and her brothers went
to court to get their freedom in 1807.
The judge said that only the youngest
child could be free. That was because
the older children were born before the
Northwest Ordinance started. So Lisette
was still a slave.
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Many years later, Lisette returned to live
in Detroit. Lisette was treated like an
immigrant (i-ma-grent) from Canada, so
she was now free in Michigan too.
H
Lisette wanted to live in Michigan,
but she knew if she moved to Canada,
she would be free. She, a brother, and
others in the family ran away to Canada.
March/April 2015
This photo
is from the
Michigan
State Historic
Preservation
Office.
8
In 1827, Lisette married a man named
Scipio (sip-ee-oh) Forth. There is no record
of Scipio’s death, but it is believed that
their marriage lasted less than three years.
The Northwest Ordinance
(ord-nans) was passed by
Congress in 1787. It broke
up the Northwest Territory
(tear-i-torry) [the land east
of the Mississippi River and
north of the Ohio River] into
smaller areas, or territories.
The Ordinance told how those
territories could become states.
It also made slavery against the
law in the new territories.
To invest (in-vest) means
you buy a part of something.
Later, if that something grows
bigger or gets rich, you get your
money back plus more!
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Lisette invested in a steamboat,
a bank, and land.
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Why do you think Lisette put
her money into a steamboat?
After Scipio’s death, Lisette worked for
others, taking care of them and their
homes. She worked for John Biddle
and his wife. Mr. Biddle worked in
politics and helped to write Michigan’s
Constitution. Lisette became friends with
Mr. Biddle’s wife. Both women felt the
need for more churches in Detroit and
made a plan to give money to build a
chapel, or church.
Lisette worked hard and saved her
money. She invested in a steamboat, a
bank, and some land. That was very rare
for a woman to do, and even more rare
for a black woman to do. When she died
in 1866, Lisette had around $2,000 to
$3,000. About $1,500 of that money
went to help build the St. James Church
in Grosse Ile (gross eel), Michigan.
D MG F X H S WN D
T A I E R K C OW E
ADL C TERZT T
OAAKHTE SDR
B NN T H I E PB O
MADWX VG SM I
ACEQNS F A I T
E SD I BANKN L
T E C NAN I DRO
S TE R R I T OR Y
Try to find these
words from the story
in the puzzle above.
H
is
bank
Canada
Detroit
free
invest
land
9
Lisette
Michigan
Northwest
Ordinance
steamboat
territory
Michigan History for Kids
A Path and Some “Points“ of History
an
Native Americans migrated
(my-grated), or moved
around, for many reasons. They
sometimes traveled very far to
hunt and fish. Native Americans
also planted gardens for food.
If the land was not good for
farming, they would move to a
place with better land.
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About 10,000 years ago, part of Macomb
County in Southeast Michigan was under
water. The waves of a much bigger “Lake
Huron” washed up near today’s Van Dyke
Avenue, also called M-53. That area of
the county became a pathway, or road, for
early Native Americans.
Animals and people used that pathway.
Animals would migrate (my-grate),
or move, to warmer
areas when winter set
in. Native Americans
would also migrate
to hunt those animals
and to go where it was
warmer. The pathway
was used to make trips
south and north again
when spring came.
H
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To help them hunt,
Native Americans used
projectile (pro-jeck-tul)
points. A projectile is a
tool that is thrown. The
points, also called
arrowheads (air-rowheads), were tied to
the tips of spears
and, later, arrows.
Often, the points
were made of a
smooth rock
called chert.
March/April 2015
Why do you
think we can still
find arrowheads
today?
The photo above is from the author.
The wires on this arrowhead
are holding it in the display.
This story was
written by Nancy
Feldbush. She works
for the Historical Society
of Michigan. Nancy would
like to thank Stacy
Tchorzynski for her
help with this story.
10
Full-Circle
Flier
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Have you ever seen this bird? Maybe
it was pulling up a worm or running
across your yard. It is the American
Robin, Michigan’s State Bird. The
robin’s back, wings, and tail are brown,
and its belly is red or orange color.
Both male and female robins help make
the nest, but the female does most of
the work. The nest ends up looking like
a cup made from grasses, twigs, and
mud. The eggs from a robin are light
blue. A robin likes to eat worms in the
morning and fruit and berries later in
the day. It also eats insects.
When winter comes, the robin cannot
find worms and berries to eat in the
northern states, like Michigan. So it
will move, or migrate (my-grate), to a
place that has berries for it to eat. Many
robins from the north spend the winter
months in southern states.
Try drawing a robin!
is
Robins will fly together as they move
south. This helps keep them safe. A big
group, or flock, of robins can also help
each other look for food.
H
When spring comes and it stays lighter
longer, the robin knows that it is time
to go back home. The robin migrates
back to the northern states, then starts
making nests and laying eggs.
11
Michigan History for Kids
From Germany to Michigan
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This photo is from the Burton Historical
Collection, Detroit Public Library.
Wilhelm Boeing (will-helm boe-ing) came to America in
1868. He left Germany at the age of 22. Many Germans
left their homes in the late 1800s. Better ways to travel gave
them more chances to emigrate (em-i-grate). Emigrate
means to leave your country to live in a new one.
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There were many reasons why Wilhelm wanted to leave
Germany. It could have been one or all of these reasons.
eople in Germany could now get wheat from
P
America. So a lot of farm workers started to go
to the cities for work. That made jobs hard to
get. Wilhelm’s chances for success in Germany
were not very good.
ilhelm had some family trouble. He and his
W
father did not get along. But, once Wilhelm came
to Michigan, he did write home to his father.
Have you heard
of a Boeing 747
airplane? Wilhelm
Boeing is the father
of William E. Boeing.
William started a
business that makes
jets and airplanes
that we use today!
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When did your
family come to
Michigan?
Why did they move
to Michigan and
not someplace else?
March/April 2015
ilhelm’s home in Germany was caught up in a
W
war. He served one year in the army. The chance
of more war may have caused Wilhelm to leave.
Travel books and newspapers made going to a new place
not as scary. One guide, called The Michigan Guide, was
read in northern Germany. It said people could find
money and freedom in the lumber towns of Saginaw
and Bay City.
Wilhelm sailed from Germany in 1868 with $60
($1,073 today). He spent most of his money to travel.
When he arrived in Detroit, Wilhelm only had $1 left.
He worked hard in Detroit. With a savings of $9, he
then went north to East Saginaw. Many Germans lived
there, working in the sawmills. Wilhelm was able to
make a lot of money in the lumber business. He made
sure his move from home was a success.
12
Help the Coureur de Bois Find Their Way!
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NE
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NW
On pages 4 and 5, there is a story about
the Coureur de Bois (koo-where duh
bwah), which means “runners of the
woods.” In that story, you learned that
Mackinac Island was the center of the
fur trade in the Great Lakes. The Coureur
de Bois could reach a lot of places by
paddling their canoes from the island.
SW
SE
They could get to the
Mississippi River through
Lake Michigan.
This tool is called a “compass rose.” It is
put on maps to show you which way, or
direction (di-reck-shun), is North, South,
East, and West. If you go the way the
arrow points, then you are going in that
direction. You can also go in between
two directions, such as going North-East.
They could make it to the
Great Plains by going north
and across Lake Superior.
They could also go to the
Ohio River by heading south
on Lakes Huron and Erie.
Start at Mackinac Island
is
2
NE
SW
SE
H
NW
1
3
13
Each path above is marked
on the map to the left.
Using the compass rose
to help you, tell the
Coureur de Bois which
way to paddle so they
can get to where they
want to go.
Tell them if they need
to go west, then north.
Or do they need to go
south, then southeast?
They don’t know! They
don’t have a map!
Only you can help
them find their way!
Michigan History for Kids
Mexicantown
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n the early 1900s, many Mexican
families came to Michigan and
Detroit. They had to travel far to get to
their new home. It was a hard choice for
them to leave Mexico. They came to the
Detroit area for many reasons.
Th
ere were no jobs in Mexico, but
there were many jobs in Detroit.
Photos for this story are from the author.
ichigan has the Great Lakes
M
around it. Mexican families liked
having so much water around
them because Mexico had
droughts (drowts), or times when
there was no rain.
The first families who settled in Detroit
faced a lot of change. The weather in
Michigan was colder than in Mexico.
Plus, the immigrants (i-ma-grents) did
not know how to speak English. That
made it hard for Mexican families.
exicans were not treated
M
very well in the states in the
Southwest. They were treated
better in Detroit and the North.
Mexican immigrants did some things to
make Michigan and Detroit feel more
like home. Stores opened that carried real
Mexican food. Places to eat, theaters, and
H
is
Many, many immigrants
(i-ma-grents) have come to
the United States. Immigrants
are people who settle in a
country where they were not
born. They come with dreams
of a better life. Most have
to leave their things behind.
They end up not having much
when they come.
March/April 2015
Pretend that your family was
moving from Michigan to Mexico.
What do you think would be
the same about living in Mexico
instead of Michigan?
What would be different?
What would you bring with
you to make your new home
feel like Michigan?
14
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music shops were soon built that had things the
immigrants liked. The people who worked in
those stores spoke Spanish too. Today, that area
is called “Mexicantown.”
H
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Mexican immigrant families liked holidays. They
would bring everyone together to have fun. Children
learned about religion and old dances that were part
of their culture. Attending church has always been a
big part of Mexican culture. Mexicans had to rely on
their faith to help them make the move
to Michigan. One of the things that
the first immigrants did was build
their own church.
In the 1960s, a big part of
Mexicantown was torn down
to make room for a new
highway. Some families sold
their businesses and homes
and had to move away. But
many grandchildren of the first
immigrants are moving back to
Mexicantown. They are living
there because they have all they
need, just like in the old days.
15
Mexicantown has
a strong culture
(cul-chur). Culture is
the way of life that a
group of people share.
Speaking the same
language, art, and
how people do things
help form a culture.
The first immigrants
passed on their
culture to younger
family members.
Why do you think
Mexican immigrants
wanted to share
their culture with
their children?
Michigan History for Kids
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Historical Society of Michigan
5815 Executive Drive
Lansing, MI 48911
michigankids.org
kids@hsmichigan.org
Published by
H
is
Photo is from www.public-domain-image.com.
Coming Next…
Underground
Treasures
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